Cotton picker and similar machine



Nov. 23 1926.

R. s. CURLEY ET AL COTTON PICKER AND smmn mourns Filed March 4. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Li Ma s wl Emoks y eazlm ATTORNEY.

Nov. 23 1926.

' R. s. CURLEY 1- AL.

COTTON PICKER AND SIMILAR MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet? Filed March 4, 1926 Patented Nov. 23, 1926 ROBERT S. CUELEY AND PERCY E.

OF MASSACHUSETTS.

hilTE' STATES recast? I CQLBUBN, 9F Q'JQEVJELL, MASSACHUSETTS, AS- SIGNGRS TO SACO-LQVJELL SHOES, 0F BOSTON, hEAElSJ-QGI'LUSETTS,

A CORPORATION COTTON ."PICKEB, AND SIMILAR Application filed March 4. 1926.

This invention relates to machines used in the textile industry for opening, picl 'ng, cleaning, or beating cotton or other fibrous material.

t is the chief object of the invention to improve the heating or picking members of such machines with a view to providing a.

superior construction and also effecting economies in the manufacture of such parts.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the ap pended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a view, partly in end elevation and partly in transverse cross-section, of a machine for opening and cleaning cotton, said machine including a picking or beating member embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly in cross-section, showing a part ofthe beating member shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through a portion of the shaft or drum, showing in elevation a wedge construction for securing a picker arm in said drum;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 3;

F ig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the split wedges used to secure the arms in the shaft;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified construction; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the wedges used in the construction shown in Fig. 6.

he invention is shown in the drawings applied to the horizontal opener shown and described in application Serial Yo. 740,779, filed September 30, 1924, and as signed to the assignee of the present invention. Reference should be made to this application for a complete description of the construction and operation of this machine. For the purposes of the present invention it is sufficient to state that the machine includes a cylindrical screen 2, Fig. 1, through which cotton or other fibrous material to he treated is carried by means of a current of air. Extending longitudinally through this screen is a revolving drum or hollow shaft carrying a series of beater or picker arms l which strike the cotton as it is brought Serial No. 32,183.

within their range of movement and beat it against the screen 2. This action loosens and opens the wads of cotton and projects some of the sand, dirt. and other foreign materials carried by the cotton through the screen, thus eii'ecting a partial cleaning of the cotton. i

The present invention is especially concerned with the mounting of the heater or picker arms 4 in the revolving shaft or drum and it provides a construction which is economical both of labor and materials, while at the same time ensuring a rigid and secure mounting of the'arms in the shaft. Referring more particularly to and 4-, it will be seen that each arm 4. con sists of a length of metal pipe or tubing which extends through the hollow shaft 3, and has end portions which project laterally from the shaft at opposite sides thereof. The tips 5 of these arms are flattened, as clearly shown in 'Fig. 2. Preferably the lengths of pipe or tubing are cut off and their ends are flattened cured in the shaft in the opposite walls of the hollow shaft being made large enough to receive the fiattened tips 5. An arm so prepared is then inserted through the shaft, and split wedges 77 are driven into the holes 66. Each wedge comprises two members, as clearly shown in the drawings, each member being shaped to fit approximately half way round the arm and being tapered. These wed s are driven tightly into the holes 6-6 with their tapers opposed to each other, or can tending in opposite directions. This wedges the arm a tightly in the holes in the shaft.

in order to prevent any possibility of the wedges backing out, pins 8-8 are then driven through the arm immediately behind he wedges. Each of the wedge members 7 is grooved, as shown at 9, F 5, to receive the pin 8. The usual procedure is to drive the wedges into their final positions, than drill the holes through the arms to receive the pins 8, and finally drive in the piz'is. These pins may either be solid or split. Usually, however, a split pin is used, as shown in Fig. 5, the legs of the pin being slightly separated so as to prevent the pin from working out. In case a solid pin is used its ends can be bent slightly after being driven so that it cannot work out endwise.

before they are se 3, the holes 66 provided 7 In either case the pins effectually prevent any backward movement of the wedges longitudinally of the arms.

The wedge members 7-7 preferably consist of brass or malleable iron castings, and the holes 66 are reamed to a suitable taper to receive said members. The construction therefore is very economical of material, the parts can be made and assembled very cheaply, and when the arms are once secured in the shaft there is no possibility of them becoming loose, any tendency of an arm to move endwise in either direction being effectually prevented by the wedges. Also, any tendency of one wedge to bac {I out or become loosened simply results in tightening up the other wedge. Inasmuch as both wedges are driven in securely during; the assembling operation, no endwise movement of the arm is possible.

In some cases it is desirabie to make the arms of the beater or picker from fiat bars instead of from tubular stock, as shown in Fig. 2. Such an arrangement shown in Fig. 6 in which each beater arm 10 consists of a fiat bar with one end offset laterally with relation to the other so that the two ends do not travel through the same path of revolution. These arms are secured in the hollow shaft 3 by split wedges 12, each wedge comprising two members adapted to bear against opposite sides of the arm. A pin 14: is driven through the arm and rests in agroove in the wedge and prevents any backward movement of the wedge members relatively to the arm. Two of these split wedges are used with each arm, as in the construction shown in Fig. 2, the wedges being opposed to each other, as in the latter construction.

Vrhile we have herein shown and described the best embodiments of our invention that we have so far devised it is evident that the invention may be embodied in somewhat different forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim as new is:

I. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotary element,

an arm projecting therefrom, and means for securing said arm in said element, said means including two wedges arranged to oppose each other whereby any tendency to loosen one wedge is opposed by the tightening of the other. i

2; In a machineof thecharacter described, the combination of a shaft, an arm project ing laterally from said shaft, and means including opposed wedges for securing said arm in said shaft.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a shaft, an arm secured therein and projecting laterally therefrom, and means for securing said arm in said shaft including two wedges tapered in opposite directions and each secured against movement longitudinally of the arm but cooperating to prevent movement of the arm. longitud nally thereof with reference to sald snaft. 7

4.111 a machine of the character described,

the combination of a shaft, an arm extending transversely through said shaft and projecting therefrom, and wedges interposed between said arm and the shaft at opposite sides of said shaft, said wedges being tapered in opposite directions and each cured against backward movement longitudinally of said arm.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of two split wedges each driven into the shaft bet-ween the arm and the shaft at opposite. sides of said shaft, saic wedges being taperedin opposite directions, and means for securing said wedges against backward movement longitudinally of the arm. y

6. In a. machine ofthe character described, the combination of a shaft, an arm extending transversely through said shaft, two split wedges driven in opposite directions into the holes through which the arm projects at opposite sides of said shaft, each wedge includ ing members bearing against opposite sides of the arm, and fastenings positively securing said wedges against ntiovement OU'iIWElltily with reference to said arm. y

In testimony whereof we have'signed our names to this ,-1)ecification.

ROBERT S. CURLEY. PERCY II. COLBUEN. 

